Additional Images of Québec in 1951-52 by Edmund Demers

Boarding Room, Rue Ste-Geneviève, Quebec City, circa 1951-52.

Black and white photo (2.75 x 4 inches). 

(Copyright: Edmund Demers)

An earlier post, The Travel Notes and Photographs of Edmund Demers, contained a number of photographs and one painting by Edmund during his stay in Québec City in 1951-52. Edmund, 31 at the time, went to Québec to devote himself entirely to free-lance painting. Since the publication of this first post, I've become aware of some additional images connected to his stay. 

The photo above shows the modest room he stayed in on the second floor of a boarding house on Rue Sainte-Geneviève.  On the reverse side of the photo, he wrote that the table was about at the midpoint of the room. The room not only served as his residence but as his studio, with the easel shown here facing away from the window. There appear to be at least three of his paintings hanging on the walls. 

Based on the available material from his stay in Quebec, it seems that his art work there centered on urban landscapes in the style of American Realism, but he also did some figurative work.

I plan at some point to integrate into one post the material in this post and the earlier post, but in the meantime, you may want to read both posts for a better understanding of his stay in Quebec.

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"View of Quebec"

"View of Quebec," painting circa 1952.

Colorized image of black and white photo.
(Copyright: Edmund Demers)

Until recently, the only image I had for this painting was a 5.25 x 8.5 inch black and white photograph taken sometime in the early 1950s. In talking with Edmund about the painting, he described the subdued colors he had applied, and with that knowledge plus recent photographs of the actual street scene, my daughter, Kate, colorized it as shown above. This is all explained in the prior post.

Now I'm happy to say that we can see not only the black and white photo of the painting, but Edmund's working sketch that he used in its execution, as well as a full color photographic slide of the painting. The colors in the painting are more vibrant than remembered by Edmund and as depicted in the colorized photograph.

In addition, after the publication of the post last winter, I traveled to Quebec City in July and took a photo from almost the exact spot where Edmund sketched or painted "View of Quebec." That photo is shown below along with a color digital photograph of another cityscape Edmund painted around 1949 in New Haven, Connecticut, in the same style. He painted "View of Quebec" not only in much the same style as the New Haven painting, but it is likely that it was painted in the same manner, i.e., with very thinly applied oil paint and almost invisible brushstrokes. It also seems likely that the Quebec painting would have been about the same dimensions as the New Haven painting (13.5 x 19.25 inches).

Working Sketch for "View of Quebec,¨ circa 1951-52.

Rue des Remparts. Pencil on paper, 9.5 x 13.5 inches.

(Copyright: Edmund Demers)

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"View of Quebec," c. 1952.

Oil on canvas, likely about 13.5 x 19.25 inches.

Image from a color glass slide, circa 1952; note curved crack line at bottom.

(Copyright: Edmund Demers)

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Black and White photograph, circa 1952.

5.25 x 8.5 inches.

(Copyright: Edmund Demers)

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Same view from a slightly different angle taken atop of the wall
which is shown at lower left of the painting. Rue des Remparts.
July 8, 2019.
(Photo by Dennis Doiron)
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Untitled, showing the Payne Whitney Gymnasium at
Yale University, and Grove Street Cemetery, New Haven, Connecticut.
Oil on canvas, 13.5 x 19.25 inches.
(Copyright: Edmund Demers)

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Other Quebec Cityscapes

"View of Quebec" is the only Quebec cityscape painting I am aware of which has been clearly photographed in color. I do have, however, several working sketches that Edmund likely used for completed paintings, one black and white photo taken by Edmund of another painting, and a partial image of a cityscape that is in the photograph of his room in the boarding house on Ste-Geneviève street.  In addition, the photographs of the urban scenes shown in the prior post and others shown below were likely taken as studies for additional paintings. I am not aware of whether these resulted in sketches or paintings.

Black and white photograph, 2.75 x 4 inches. Edmund Demers, circa 1952.

Likely of an oil on canvas painting. On reverse of photo is written 16" x 18," which likely

indicates the dimensions of the painting in inches.

(Copyright: Edmund Demers)

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Untitled, circa 1952. Laundry day scene in Quebec. Edmund Demers.
Detail of black and white photograph by Edmund Demers.
Likely oil on canvas and 16 x 18 inches.
Painted in Quebec in 1951-52 or shortly thereafter.
(Copyright: Edmund Demers)
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Working sketch for painting, dated (right upper corner) "Oct' 51."
Unknown location, likely in the Lower Town, Quebec City.
Pencil on paper, 9.5 x 13.5 inches.
(Copyright: Edmund Demers)

This sketch shows, from a slightly different angle, much of the same architectural background in the laundry day painting above. It seems likely that Edmund would have painted this full scene in another oil and canvas painting.

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Color photograph taken by Edmund Demers of the same building above, winter 1951-52.
Unknown location in the Lower Town, Quebec City.
(Copyright: Edmund Demers)

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Detail from Rue Sainte-Geneviève boarding room photograph, above.
(Copyright: Edmund Demers)

Shown is a complex cityscape (perhaps in the Upper Town near the seminary) partially hidden by a table lamp. Elements include roof lines, chimneys, and exterior walls of residential and commercial buildings. The large building to the left might be a warehouse or factory, the large building in the background might be a church or part of the Quebec seminary. It is unclear what the three similar structures at right are; they resemble skyscapers, but since there is only one tall building in Quebec's old city, they may be large chimneys in the extreme foreground of the painting and similar to those in the laundry day painting. Very likely oil on canvas.

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Working sketch for a painting, dated (upper right) "Oct' 51."
Unknown location in, perhaps, the Upper Town, Quebec City.
Pencil on paper, 9.5 x 13.5 inches.
(Copyright: Edmund Demers)

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Additional Images of Quebec

Unknown location, Quebec City. Winter 1951-52.
Black and white photograph, 2.75 x 4 inches.
(Copyright: Edmund Demers)
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View of statue of Cardinal Taschereau, Cathedral of Notre Dame, and Quebec Seminary.

Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, Quebec City. Winter 1951-52.

2.75 x 4 inches. 

(Copyright: Edmund Demers)

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Quebec City, perhaps part of the seminary. Winter 1951-52.
Black and white photograph, 2.75 x 4 inches.
(Copyright: Edmund Demers)
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Old House and Neighborhood Store, unknown location, Quebec City. Winter 1951-52.

Black and white photograph, 2.75 x 4 inches.
(Copyright: Edmund Demers)
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View of Seminary and Notre Dame Cathedral. Winter 1951-52.

Black and white photograph, 2.75 x 4 inches.
(Copyright: Edmund Demers)
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Quebec City Scene, unknown location. Winter 1951-52.

Black and white photograph, 2.75 x 4 inches.
(Copyright: Edmund Demers)
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View of Dufferin Terrace, Quebec City, 1951-52.

Black and white photograph, 2.75 x 4 inches.
(Copyright: Edmund Demers)

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Quebec City scene, near Seminary. 1951-52.

Color slide.
(Copyright: Edmund Demers)
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Quebec City Scene, unknown location. 1951-52.

Color slide. (Copyright: Edmund Demers)

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Rue des Remparts, looking south. Winter 1951-52.

Color slide. (Copyright: Edmund Demers)
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View of Côte de la Montagne and Saint Lawrence River, 1951-52.

Color slide. (Copyright: Edmund Demers)
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Unknown Church in or near Quebec City.

Color slide. (Copyright: Edmund Demers)

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Figure Drawings and Paintings

"L'Habitant en Hiver"

Working sketch for oil painting, circa 1952.

Ink on paper, 8.5 x 12 inches.
(Copyright: Edmund Demers)
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"L'Habitant en Hiver [Early French-Canadian Settler in Winter],¨ circa 1952.

Color photograph of oil on canvas painting. 

(Copyright: Edmund Demers)

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Photo above cropped and reoriented with digital software.

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Photo of Edmund Demers and "L'Habitant en Hiver" from article,
"Pictures by Edmund Demers Featured In Nasson Art Show," 1st page, Sanford (Maine) Tribune, February 26, 1953. From the Sanford Tribuen Digital Collections: https://springvale.advantage-preservation.com/viewer/?k=edmund%20demers&i=f&d=01011895-12311971&m=between&ord=k1&fn=sanford_tribune_usa_maine_sanford_19530226_english_1&df=11&dt=20.

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Working sketch of unknown man, circa 1951-52. 

Likely drawn in Quebec City for an oil on canvas painting.

Pencil on paper, 9.5 x 13.5 inches. 

(Copyright: Edmund Demers)

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Detail of Rue Ste-Geneviève boarding room photograph, above.

Unfortunately this detail from the boarding room photograph is not very clear. It appears to show a human figure (perhaps a religious person) in the foreground wearing a white robe and dark shawl. In the background is a building and a narrow street, possibly in Quebec City.

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Detail from boarding room photo.

It is not clear if this image, which appears to be a Madonna and child, is a painting by Edmund. It resembles, however, other paintings of a religious nature by him at the time like this painting below by Edmund from the early 1950s.

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Untitled, apparently a Madonna and child, circa 1950. Color Slide. 

(Copyright: Edmund Demers)

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Still Life

Untitled, 1951. Signed and dated, "Demers '51".

Ink on paper, 8.5 x 11 7/8 inches.

(Copyright: Edmund Demers)

This may have been drawn in Quebec City in late 1951 

or earlier in 1951 before Edmund arrived there.

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Acknowledgements

I wish to thank Peggy Trout, a daughter of Edmund, for her encouragement throughout my work with Edmund on this blog and for her continuing support after his death.

And once more, I want to give a big thank you to my friends and cousins in Victoriaville, Québec, Jeanne d'Arc and Cécile Leblanc, for reviewing and offering revisions to the French text, and (for the first time) to another friend and cousin, Suzanne Demers, the Vice-President of the Association des Familles Demers, for her help with the French text. Merci bien à toutes !